This Just Got Personal: Meet Sports Brand Designer Dominic Marchese

ArtCenter: What are you working on right now?

Dominic Marchese (BFA 13 Graphic Design) Global Brand Designer, Adidas: Setting the creative direction for NFL and baseball. We have concepts and campaigns that have been going on the last couple years tied to product and footwear.

AC: What kind of shoes are you wearing?

AC: If you could trade jobs with anyone for a day who would it be?

AC: What’s the first site you look at when you open your computer in the morning?

DM: Reddit or ESPN.

AC: What’s the design cliché you’re most tempted to use?

DM: Keep it simple.

Think about what you really want to want to do, and dive into what makes you happy.

AC: How do you define success?

DM: I think everyone’s success is personal. Doing what you want and being happy doing it is successful in my book.

AC: What book is on your bedside table?

DM: How to Fix Back Pain.

AC: Do you have any superstitions?

DM: I still try not to walk over cracks for some reason. I don’t like even numbers either. I was born on an odd year, and all my good years are on odd years.

AC: Where do you go (online or offline) when you’re taking a break?

DM: Record shops, online and offline. I think records are tangible graphic design that’s still relevant today. The use of photography and type or a rad illustration is the only thing a record is. I’m killing two birds with one stone if I just sit in a record store for a few hours and look at some well-designed records, plus I find some music at the same time.

AC: Who are the most interesting designers working today?

DM: Steven Harrington, Patrick Thomas, Stephen Powers, Hort Design aka Eike Konig, Actual Source out of Utah, Sneeze Magazine. Ed Ruscha and Mark Rothko are also big influences on me. I like a lot of art in general; and photography plays a big role in what I’m into as well. I have to pay attention to a lot of outlets at work: fashion, photographers, artists, magazines, and just people who are doing rad stuff. It keeps me relevant at the job. This list is endless if I really think about it.

AC: What’s the one tool you can’t do without?

DM: My turntables.

AC: What’s your most prized possession?

DM: I have this hand built-mixer for playing records that took a few jobs to afford.

Alumni Q&A

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AC: Where is your happy place?

AC: If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

AC: How would your closest friend describe you?

DM: A good, funny guy to have in the house. Musically inclined, I would hope. A good designer, I would hope.

AC: What’s your best piece of advice for an ArtCenter student who’s interested in following your career path?

DM: Think about what you really want to want to do, and dive into what makes you happy. If you can find the work, product or thing that grabs you, find a job that solely does that. And get out of L.A. for a little bit — that always sets things in perspective.